Thugs disrupt pro, anti-Aregbesola rallies in Osogbo

Two separate rallies for and against the Rauf Aregbesola administration were on Tuesday disrupted by hoodlums in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, resulting in many sustaining varying degrees of injuries.

A coalition of civil societies organization had staged a peaceful rally to call for the impeachment of the governor for allegedly mismanaging the state’s resources which brought untold hardship to the people of Osun State.

The coalition, under the aegis of Civil Societies Coalition for Emancipation of Osun State, CSCEO, were marching at the Igbonna Market along the Obafemi Awolowo Way when the hoodlums came attacking with dangerous weapons such as machetes, guns, knives and charms.

There were sporadic shots in the air and many of the protesters scampered for safety.

In the process, many of the protesters, especially pensioners, suffered injuries from the attack.

However, there was a curious twist in the rally episode, when the same set of hoodlums also attacked a pro-Aregbesola rally also in the state capital.

From Aiyetoro area of the state capital to Old Garage Area, Olaiya and Okefia Roundabout, the pro-Aregbesola campaigners carried different placards with different inscriptions such as “Don’t stigmatise Aregbesola over unpaid salaries”, “Osun is not the only state owing workers”, “Omisore, PDP funding violence against Aregbesola’s government”, “Salary issue is a national challenge” and many others.

It was gathered that the hoodlums, thinking that the rally was a regroup of the earlier disrupted rally, descended on the protesters, who also ran for safety.